The story
“Your attorney saved my life. If she hadn’t helped me, I wouldn’t be able to be a good mom anymore.”
This heartfelt statement is just one example of the gratitude expressed by those who have been touched by the dedicated team at the Life Crisis Center. Based in Maryland, this private nonprofit is devoted to enhancing the quality of life in their community through crisis intervention and violence prevention services.
Founded in 1976 as a rape crisis center, the organization has grown into a vital resource for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, child abuse and more on the lower eastern shore of Maryland. Jamie Manning, the center’s executive director, explains its mission (noted above) simply yet powerfully: “When people are in crisis, we want to be there to help them.”
No matter who you are, a crisis can strike in an instant.
“The violence that individuals are exposed to doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t matter what race you are, what your socioeconomic status is, what your gender is. It can happen to anyone, so we serve everyone,” Manning said.
And because every crisis is unique, the Life Crisis Center trains its specialists to handle the unpredictable. With Manning’s 25 years of experience in the industry, she understands “what I might think is a crisis, you might not think is a crisis. But for somebody else, it could be their crisis.”
Numerous calls come into their hotline from individuals. Life Crisis Center also receives many referrals from community members, law enforcement, social services or schools. These calls are crucial lifelines, connecting individuals to the services they need most. Calls can range from requests for resource assistance with paying a utility bill to urgent interventions in domestic violence situations requiring immediate coordination with law enforcement.
The complexity of their work often means encountering tough realities. Domestic violence calls may involve children, layering another dimension of urgency and care into a specialist’s response.
“I’m passionate about making sure children, adults and their families have the opportunity not just to survive, but to heal – and for children to still have a childhood. When someone experiences sexual assault or domestic violence, it’s a horrific trauma, especially for a child. Their voices matter. Healing begins the moment they feel safe, believed and supported. That’s where Life Crisis Center comes in – we provide the mental health support, connecting survivors to a trauma therapist who listens, believes them and gives them tools to begin healing. That’s the heart of what we do,” Manning explained.
For survivors, safety comes first. When a person calls during a violent situation, the Life Crisis Center immediately assesses their safety needs, connecting them to a safe place to stay or into their secure, 19-bed safe house if needed. The location is kept strictly confidential to prioritize their safety, with information only shared at the survivor’s request. “We just take every safeguard and precaution to keep that victim safe and their children,” Manning said.
From there, the center’s legal team can step in to help. Whether filing protective orders or accompanying survivors to court, the team’s priority is ensuring individuals feel supported every step of the way.
Counseling is another critical resource the center provides, with licensed clinical social workers and professional counselors offering a range of trauma treatment modalities. Each step is tailored to the survivor’s individual path. “Everyone’s situation is different,” Manning emphasized. “We meet them where they are and help them.”
While the Life Crisis Center offers a host of programs and services, Manning knows it wouldn’t be possible without her staff. “It doesn’t matter who’s calling them, they’re going to drop what they’re doing and focus on that individual and get them services they need. Even if it’s something not in our wheelhouse, they’re going to connect them to the best option that they could possibly find if outside of LCC.”
The center’s success is a testament to the shared commitment of staff, volunteers and the broader community that supports its work. Together, they work to see no call for help goes unanswered.
“I am so blessed for the team that we have. And it goes right down to our bookkeeper, administrative assistant, the person that cleans our buildings, our landscaper, all partnerships – it’s not just the staff, it’s the community that’s wrapped themselves around the Life Crisis Center too,” Manning said.
Community impact
When the Life Crisis Center learned they had been named an Insperity Community Hero, they were excited. The honor reflected their tireless dedication to offering safety, healing and support to those in crisis.
“Certainly, we’re honored and humbled that we’re being recognized as that,” Manning shared. “But I think it helps us to spread awareness around the profound impact the Life Crisis Center can have on the community and that our services are vital to the area.”
The recognition also came with a $5,000 donation, a timely gift for a nonprofit that pours every resource into its mission. While the center has an extraordinary team to deliver its range of services – from legal advocacy to counseling and safe housing – it also faces its share of challenges.
Manning is committed to keeping Life Crisis Center accessible to everyone who needs help. This means none of their services come with a price tag, a commitment that necessitates creativity and perseverance in funding their work.
“We write for donations constantly. We rely on grants and fundraising as our income to pay our therapists, to pay the utility bills, to have groceries in the safe house,” Manning said.
The $5,000 donation will make an immediate difference. The funds are earmarked for vital needs, from stipends for their hardworking advocates to groceries for the safe house. There’s also clothing for those arriving with nothing, supplies for therapy sessions and countless other essentials that keep the center running smoothly.
The recognition, however, is just one piece of what makes the Insperity Community Hero award so impactful. Manning and her team have been equally moved by the transformational partnership they’ve built with Insperity.
Before Insperity’s support, the organization managed many of its day-to-day human resource duties using outdated paper-based processes – which Manning and her team realized was not the best setup for efficiency or growth. Keeping staff was also a complicated endeavor. While the Life Crisis Center wanted to offer competitive benefits, resources were limited.
But all that changed with Insperity.
“We wanted the support of HR services, wellbeing, health benefits and a 401(k),” Manning said. “It worked really well for us, and it actually has helped me retain some of our team due to the basic need of health benefits being met now.”
For Manning, this shift has been nothing short of game changing. A supported, happy staff means greater productivity and an elevated ability to focus on the critical work of providing life-changing services to the community.
For an organization like Life Crisis Center, recognition as an Insperity Community Hero does more than strengthen their operations. It shines a spotlight on the resources they provide, making it easier for individuals to access them in times of need.
“This recognition sheds more light on the services Life Crisis Center offers,” Manning said. “It helps people realize, ‘There’s this resource right in my community that can help me, that’s confidential and that I can feel safe at.’”
By pairing the financial gift with practical and emotional support for their team, Insperity has helped Life Crisis Center stay true to its mission of walking beside those in crisis. And as Manning and her staff continue their work, they do so knowing their community sees and values the vital role they play in creating a safer, more supportive community for everyone.
“This recognition sheds more light on the services Life Crisis Center offers. It helps people realize, ‘There’s this resource right in my community that can help me, that’s confidential and that I can feel safe at.”
Jamie Manning
Executive Director
Life Crisis Center